Despite all this, we have set a goal that heritage – from archaeological sites to automatically protected buildings – should last forever. This position has grown increasingly unrealistic due to climate change, budgetary constraints, and the shear amount of heritage we must conserve. A situation that is true everywhere but is especially acute in Svalbard. This talk builds on recent ideas in heritage studies to suggest how we can responsibly say goodbye to heritage, how it can look like, and what meaningful conversations can that open up. Svalbard, with its small community, quick access to local and national authorities, and highly educated and highly creative population can be a leader in experimental approaches for addressing heritage management in the age of unprecedented loss.
Anatolijs Venovcevs, PhD in contemporary archaeology, is a researcher in historical archaeology at Svalbard Museum.